Cole indebted to Bedford for rise to top of the props

Taking on Otley at Cross Green on a cold February afternoon may not seem the ideal preparation for beating Australia in Sydney.

But prop Dan Cole, whose scrummaging performance was at the heart of the 21-20 defeat of the Wallabies, says he would still be kicking his heels in the Leicester reserves if he had not travelled to Otley and Cornish Pirates as part of his loan spell with Bedford between 2006 and 2008.

The 23-year-old also spent some time at Nottingham in January 2009. Four months later he was playing in the Premiership final for Leicester and a year later he was included in England's RBS 6 Nations squad - feats he says he would never have achieved without sampling life outside English rugby's top flight.

He said: "There's no chance I would be an international or player I am without that experience.

"It sounds crazy to say, but experiences in National 1 definitely can relate to the win in Sydney.

"It's character building when you're in National 1 and you have to get up at 6am to go play Exeter, Cornish Pirates or any of these difficult places to visit, but at the end of it you're a better player.

"And the same applies when you go on tour - even with England to the Southern Hemisphere.

"Granted it's different teams and different skill levels, but the theory is the same behind it - you're away from home and you have to get a result.

"It was tough when I started, as I was a young guy coming out of the academy system and you have to settle into a new squad and visit places such as Cornish Pirates and Otley.

"It keeps you grounded and these places are very tough places to play and teach you a lot about the pressures in rugby. But you get through them and you're better for it.

"I wouldn't have got a shot at the Leicester first team unless I had gone to Bedford where I learnt a huge amount.

"I remember a game when I was at Bedford against Nottingham at Meadow Lane.

"It was a great game; we were winning with about two minutes to go and Nottingham pulled out this 14-man maul from a lineout and it absolutely killed us.

"I had never seen it before, but at least if Australia, New Zealand or whoever pull that out now, I know I can handle it!"